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5 Interesting Facts About Welding and Metal Fabrication

Date Published:

March 14th, 2018

Metal fabrication is hard work. Even though it is becoming increasingly more automated with computer-controlled procedures—like laser cutting, punching, bending, and other CNC machining techniques—fabricators must still possess a great deal of skill and experience to turn out superb work. If you’ve stumbled upon this page, chances are you already know this, and rather than sharing with you information you already know, we at Fort Miller FAB 3 would instead like to offer you some interesting facts about metal fabrication.

If you are in the Saratoga Springs area and in need of superior metal fabrication, contact our fab shop! We offer a wide array of services, including robotic welding, CNC machining, laser cutting, bending, and much more. We take tremendous pride in creating custom projects and helping our customers get exact end results, regardless of how unique their request is. Learn more about our capabilities and contact us today to get started.

Below are some interesting facts about welding and metal fabrication.

Welding Is Affected By Earth’s Atmosphere

Because very few of us have ever left Earth’s atmosphere, we rarely think about how our atmosphere affects certain processes, like welding. But did you know that outside of Earth’s atmosphere two pieces of uncoated metal will fuse together upon contact? No welding required. What specifically prevents this from happening here on our beloved planet is a layer of oxidized material that naturally gets between pieces of metal and prevents them from bonding. This is also to say, if we ever lose our atmosphere and have to work in a vacuum, the welding profession may become obsolete. However, if this scenario ever comes to fruition, we likely have much, much bigger problems to deal with.

Welding Is Everywhere

It is estimated that more than 50 percent of the United States’ products required some type of welding before they were welcomed into our material world. For example, bridges, ships, computers, cell phones, cars, all required welding—and often other forms of metal fabrication as well. Given the importance of welding, it may come as no surprise that it is believed that in 1961 the world’s first industrial robot was used to spot weld. Unlike today’s ultra-efficient robotic welders, this motorized arm built by General Motors weighed two tons and its commands were stored in a massive magnetic drum. Speaking of welding in the workplace, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the welding industry is growing at a rate of 15 to 22 percent.

Welding Records Are Impressive

The magic of underwater welding is fascinating in and of itself, but some of the welding world records are mind-blowing. For example, did you know that the deepest underwater dry weld was performed at 1,075 feet under the sea? What’s even more bizarre is that the world’s deepest wet weld was performed at almost double this depth—2,000 feet deep! And while we’re at it: according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest welding lesson consists of 275 participants.

Welding Is Really Old

Okay, this might not be that much of a secret, but it is still worth mentioning. Since we do not live in an atmosphere where two metals can bump into each other and naturally form a bond, we must break down their material composition and coerce a bond using the art of welding. Although the techniques and technology have advanced significantly, welding, however, is not a new practice. Based on archeological findings, historians expect the trade of welding to date back to 3,500 B.C. Although these early welders weren’t aware of how the atmosphere dictated the need to weld, they did figure out how to get metals to fuse, and for that we salute you, Egyptians and other pioneer fabricators—kudos!

For High-Quality Welding Visit Fort Miller FAB 3

This is an interesting fact, right? Well, we surely think so. In part, this is because we take great pride in being the go-to metal fab shop for the Saratoga Springs area. We are proud of the reputation we have earned. Not only do we have highly skilled and experienced welders, but we also offer robotic welding services. If you are unfamiliar with robotic welding, we encourage you to check out our recent blog on the subject—in short, you could say that robotic welding allows us to weld an extremely high volume of various-sized material quickly, efficiently, and with absolute precision.

Fort Miller FAB 3 strive to be your one-stop fab shop. This means, in addition to robotic welding services, we also offer plasma cutting, CNC machining, bending, laser cutting, and seemingly everything else you need to turn your idea into a reality. And when you partner with us, we leverage our expertise, experience, and technology to find the most cost-effective and suitable approach for your project.

Want to learn more? Ready to schedule a consultation? Contact us today! We look forward to hearing from you!